Page 18 of The Chaos She Brings

“I mean,” she continues, fidgeting with the hem of her top, “tomorrow I’ll go back to my normal life. Back to work, smiling at people as I answer phones like I’m not a totally different person. Like I’m not a murderer. Meanwhile, you’ll keep doing whatever it is you do with dead bodies, and I’ll probably never see you again. Which is fine. Totally fine. I shouldn’t care because, let’s be honest, I’m not even sure you like me. And I’m not even sure I like you. But this weekend? This insane, completely deranged weekend? It’s been… kind of the best weekend of my life. And I don’t know what to do with that because—”

“Tess.”

She ignores me.

Her words tumble out faster, her eyes brimming with too many emotions, too many unanswered questions. It’s too much, and something snaps in me.

“—I feelalivefor once, which is ironic considering it all started with me unaliving Jake, and now—”

I slam on the brakes outside her building, my breath coming faster. Without thinking, I grab the back of her head, pulling her toward me, needing to silence all the chaos that’s building between us. The kiss comes before either of us can stop it.

Her words vanish, replaced by a soft gasp against my lips.

For a second, she freezes—shocked, uncertain—but then she melts against me, her body pressing into mine. Her fingers fist my shirt, pulling me closer, and I can feel the tremble in her fingertips. I deepen the kiss, feeling her warmth seep into me. She tastes like mint, her breath mingling with mine, and I’m caught in the chaos of it. The world outside disappears, just the two of us, tangled together in the tension that’s been building between us for the past few days. It’s wild, uncontrollable, and I’m lost in it.

I nip her bottom lip, earning a soft moan that sends heat straight through me, but also jolts me back to reality. Ripping my mouth from hers, my chest heaves.Fuck. Stupid. So fucking stupid.

“What… what was that for?” she breathes, her voice shaky. There’s something fragile in her gaze as she looks at me, like she’s trying to make sense of what just happened.

“To shut you up,” I deadpan.

She blinks, then laughs, the sound bright and unexpected. “You’re an ass.”

“And you talk too much.”

I clear my throat, trying to shake off the feel of her lips. “Sorry I shouldn’t have done that.”

Tess shakes her head. “Right. Yeah.”

Desperate to break the tension I nudge her shoulder lightly. “Come on. Help me carry the carpet inside.”

I climb out of the car, and she does the same. Neither of us speaks as we lug the carpet up the stairs and towards her door.

Just as we round the corner, I stop dead at the sight of her door off its hinges.

“What—” Tess starts from behind me.

“Shh,” I hiss. “Put the carpet down.” I keep my voice low but calm in an attempt not to spook her too much.

“Kai, what’s going on?” She asks with a slight tremor to her voice.

“Someone has broken into your flat. Wait here while I check it out.”

She looks up at me, her eyes wide with panic, her lips parting to speak. I don’t let her. Instead, I cup the back of her head, pulling her mouth to mine. The kiss is brief, just enough to silence her spiralling thoughts.

When I pull back, her gaze locks on mine, her breath hitching.

I step back once again. “Fuck. Sorry I don’t know why I keep doing that.”

“It’s a pretty effective method of shutting me up,” she offers, shrugging her shoulders.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Her cheeks turn red.

“I’ll be right back,” I say firmly, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.

She nods, her cheeks flushed, the fear still evident in her eyes.